This invention relates to burial crypts. In particular, the invention is directed to an improved crypt, and a crypt arrangement which provides a more efficient system of burial.
The traditional method of burial requires excavation of individual grave sites, replacement of the excavated soil on top of the coffin, and subsequent landscaping. The traditional burial technique is not only labour intensive, but also wasteful of space.
Various modular burial structures have been proposed in order to overcome the disadvantages of traditional burial techniques. Examples of such modular burial systems can be found in international patent application no. PCT/AU95/00272 (WO 95/31623); Australian patent application no. 30423/92 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,878,656, 4,068,425, 4,606,839, 4,989,382, 5,243,794 and 5,381,591. However, in these systems the modules are stacked vertically to form mausoleums. According to some cultures and religions, deceased persons should be buried in graves below ground, rather than aboveground in mausoleums.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,239 describes a burial field arrangement comprising rows of rectangular burial chambers formed from individual wall sections. Although the burial system of U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,239 permits in-ground burial and provides an efficient use of space, its construction is particularly time consuming as the chambers must be formed from many individual components.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved crypt, and a more efficient and economic crypt arrangement.
In one broad form, this invention provides a crypt arrangement for a cemetery, comprising at least one layer of hollow cells arranged in rows, each cell being formed by a continuous wall of generally rectangular shape when viewed from above, the cells in each row being spaced apart and staggered relative to cells in adjacent rows, with cells in a row having their corners juxtaposed with the diagonally opposite corners of cells in adjacent rows, whereby burial crypts are formed by the spaces within cells and the spaces between cells.
Throughout this specification, the term xe2x80x9ccellxe2x80x9d is intended to mean a structural unit comprising an area or volume bounded by the wall. Typically, each cell is constructed of concrete.
In the preferred embodiment, the cells are of identical construction, and are arranged so that the spaces within the cells are generally of the same shape and volume as the spaces between the cells. In this manner, an efficient crypt arrangement is obtained, in which there are approximately twice as many burial crypts as cells, the crypts being separated by a single wall thickness.
Preferably, the corners of the rectangular cells have outer faces which are angled obliquely to the sides of the cells. The oblique outer face of a cell corner is wholly within a notional rectangular boundary defined by the outer faces of the side walls of the cell. When the cells are arranged to form the cemetery, the outer oblique face of a corner of a cell is juxtaposed with the outer face of a diagonally opposite corner of an adjacent cell. Each outer face may contain a vertical groove so that a composite bore is formed by opposed grooves in juxtaposed faces. The bore can be filled with grout or other sealant to seal the junction between cells.
Preferably, the wall on at least one pair of opposed sides of the cell is of tapered thickness, being thicker at its top than its bottom.
The crypt arrangement may be formed from two (or more) layers of cells, with each cell in an upper layer being stacked on a respective cell in the layer below. Due to the tapered wall thickness, a ledge is formed at the junction of vertically stacked cells, the ledge being formed both inside and outside the cell wall. Intermediate lids may be supported on such ledges within any of the burial crypts.
The tops of the cells in the upper layer, and the tops of the spaces between cells in the upper layer, can be closed by respective lids. The lids, and the intermediate lids, can be formed of several sections.
This invention also provides a vehicle for raising and transporting a lid of a crypt, the vehicle being adapted to be positioned over the crypt and comprising a mobile frame supported on spaced ground-engaging elements, attachment means for connection to the lid, the attachment means being located within the frame, and powered lifting means for raising the attachment means within the frame.
Typically, the vehicle is a wheeled trailer, and the attachment means comprises a horizontal frame which is shaped and dimensioned to match approximately the periphery of the lid to be raised. The vehicle is able to lift the lid together with any soil and turf on the lid. Similarly, the lid, soil and turf can be replaced together in a single operation, thereby minimising the time required to open and close a crypt.
In order that the invention may be more fully understood, a preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.